The House prosecution panel has highlighted on Thursday, June 18 respondent Vice President Sara Duterte's absence in the pre-trial conference for her own Senate impeachment trial.

Prosecution panel spokesperson Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press conference over at the House of Representatives that Duterte’s absence went against her earlier pronouncements that she was ready and willing to face the articles of impeachment.

"Vice President Sara Duterte was not personally present during the pre-trial conference despite earlier statements that she expressed readiness and willingness to face the charges at the proper court,” Co said.

“Instead, she was represented by a legal counsel who appeared and acted on her behalf before the impeachment court,” Co said of the pre-trial conference, which was held at the Senate behind closed doors.

Co acknowledged that Senate impeachment rules allow a party to appear through an authorized representative. But she said the public had hoped Duterte herself would attend, given the gravity and persistence of the allegations.

“People are expecting VP Sara Duterte to show up in the pre-trial conference and even on the days that the trial proper will continue. Bakit po? Ito po’y dahil ilang taon na pong hindi nasasagot ‘yung mga tanong ng taong bayan. And any further evasion is going to be another day, another week, another year of denial of justice. Ayaw na natin ng ganoon,” she said.

(Why? Because for years the people’s questions have not been answered. And any further evasion will mean another day, another week, another year of denial of justice. We do not want that anymore.)

The Vice President also completely skipped all proceedings at the House Committee on Justice when her impeachment complaints were still being tested on form, substance, and grounds. The House has since submitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

Adiong likewise said Duterte’s personal appearance would have demonstrated her willingness to directly confront the allegations against her. “Well unang-una (first of all), it speaks about how serious she is in facing these allegations. The presence is important."

He noted that the ongoing impeachment proceedings involve the country’s second-highest official and allegations that could constitute impeachable offenses.

“This will be a historic impeachment trial. Nowhere in Philippine history have we experienced the second highest official in the land faces serious allegations, culpable violations of the Constitution, which constitute impeachable offense,” Adiong said.

He said personally appearing before the impeachment court would have reflected the seriousness of the office Duterte holds and the gravity of the accusations she faces.

“I think it would be proper and would be more attuned to the demand of the people that she appears in the trial, in the pre-trial conference, to display her seriousness and her attempt, really, to face the charges and also to show na wala siyang tinatago at wala siyang kinakatakutan (to show that she isn't hiding anything or fear anything),” Adiong said.

Like Co from the Makabayan bloc, the Mindanao lawmaker also pointed to Duterte’s previous public statements that she would face the allegations in the proper forum.

“This is the direct opposite of what we have heard in the previous months, that she will appear in the proper forum, which now is the impeachment court,” Adiong said.

He added: “Para sa amin, para sa taong bayan, mas magiging tapat ‘yung kanyang sinasabi na wala siyang kasalanan kung maipakita niya na siya mismo ang humarap sa impeachment court, in this case, in the pre-trial conference.”

(For us, for the people, his claim of having no wrongdoing will be more truthful if she shows it herself by appearing before the impeachment court, in this case, at the pre-trial conference.)

At any rate, Adiong said the prosecution panel was "encouraged by the orderly and smooth conduct of today’s pre-trial conference, which demonstrates that the impeachment process is proceeding in accordance with the rules and on the proper constitutional track".

He noted both the public and private prosecutors participated in the proceedings, although the private prosecutors remained for the stipulation of exhibits.

Moreover, the Senate impeachment court directed both the prosecution and defense to submit their respective comments on the stipulation process by June 22, after which the matter will be submitted for resolution on June 25.

The trial proper is slated to begin on July 6.